WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the operation against Iran is “substantially ahead” of schedule, but he added the US military will do “whatever it takes” to achieve the mission’s objectives.
Speaking at a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House Monday, Trump laid out the objectives as destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, “annihilating” its navy, ensuring it can’t obtain a nuclear weapon and severing its support for regional militias.
“This was our last best chance to strike, what we’re doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments marked his first live appearance since a rally Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas. Over the weekend, he addressed the public only through social media posts and two pre-recorded videos taken in Mar-a-Lago, where he spent the weekend.
“From the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,” Trump said. “But whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes.”
Earlier Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the war would not drag on indefinitely, while saying it could last as long as six weeks.
Since Operation Epic Fury began overnight Saturday, four US troops have been killed and five others seriously wounded in the Iranian counterattacks on US bases across the region, according to US Central Command. On Monday, three US jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in what the US military called an “apparent friendly fire incident,” with pilots parachuting to safety.
In an interview with the New York Post earlier Monday, Trump declined to rule out boots on the ground in Iran but said they “probably” weren’t required.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
